Francy's p.o.v

Few days later, the day of my birthday, my fabulous 18th birthday was finally here. And I was having a meltdown.

"I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready and the guests will be here." I hopped on one leg with half my pedicure done, trying to get my earings on while simultaneously yelling at mom who was tick-tocking me at the door.

"I have the food ready, I just can't take it out until you're there to make it the way you want aesthetically." She crossed her hands. "And why does it smell like.."

"what.." I looked at mom and then smelled the air. "Oh my god the flat iron.." I ran and unplugged it. I completely forgot to shut it off after i was done curling my hair with it. I glanced towards mom who was giving me a disapproving look.

"One day you'll burn the house down."

"Can you please not judge me today and just help me out?" I asked giving up.

She laughed and walked in the room helping me with the dress and then fixing my hair pattern and my curls.

"Everything will look great, you look amazing and your friends will love everything. You chased all the men out of the house so no one will ruin anything." She rubbed my back to calm me down.

I sighed. Yeah. I suppose she was right.

"If she was you and panicking like this, I'd tell her she needs to get laid." Grandma from mom's side walked into the room with champagne. She was wearing a long navy blue gown and glittery nail polish.

"Grandma." I ran over to her and hugged her.

"Ma poupee." She kissed the top of my head.

"She's not me and she is having a girl's only party." Mom stood up and sized up grandma. "Why overdress, we're not invited."

"Matters not." She grinned. "A fabulous woman needs to be fabulous anywhere to keep up her good reputation. I don't want her friends glancing at her grandmother and not thinking wow I want to be that fabulous her age."

"We love a good glam in this house," I said as I looked down at my gorgeous dress and over-the-top heels considering this was a garden party. But glam and aesthetics mattered. They were the core of my life. My being.

There was no Francy without aesthetics in her life.

"Alright fine. But I'm going to need help in the kitchen considering this one.." she glanced at me. "made a mess before running off to get ready."

"I love you." I grinned at mom.

She scoffed at her adorable daughter and left with grandma.

I finished getting ready and stood in front of the mirror to take a picture and send it to Elric later on.

See, before I got a boyfriend I always made my birthday parties, girls only, and made them as aesthetic as they could possibly be. I was known among my classmates as the ultimate aesthetic party host. Not that I threw crazy parties that lots of people went to, but it was a small local title that I carried with honor.

I never thought I will get a boyfriend in high school. So now in order to keep up with the tradition and knowing what kind of party I wanted, I couldn't invite him to come.

But we had agreed to celebrate it properly the next day by going on a cute date.

The party started around 7. The theme was blue lagoon. I wanted everything to look white and cerulean blue with hints of turquoise and have a sea vibe to it.

I wanted my guests to feel like they were somewhere by the sea and as the breeze tickles their necks, they can smell the salty air of the sea and the pink sunset set.

When the doorbell rang, I knew the guests had started arriving and they were waiting to be swept off their feet.

IT WAS SHOWTIME.

****

The party was a hit. I had the last piece of the cake that was the only thing left from the whole feast I had prepared. Once the guest left Remi and I laid on the carpet and looked at the sky.

"Do you think things will remain the same after high school?" She asked. "We have one more year to go but it all seems to be flying so fast."

I smiled looking at the sky. "Everything will change Remi. But you know what... it will be even better. I can feel it." I brought my hand up comparing it to the vast dark sky. " High school is just a tiny fraction of the life that is waiting for us, you'll see. We won't be mediocre people living just average lives without experiencing life."

Remi scooped away a bit further. "You always get so philosophical on your birthday. "

I laughed. "Shut up."

"So.." She cleared her throat. "Any wish for your birthday. With all the presents you got today, there must be something you want to get..."

Her voice was getting distant..

"This year there aren't many things i want physically.." i chuckled. "except Elric.. " hmmm. " it will be great to win the competition.."

There was silence. "Remi?" I lifted myself up in my elbows and realized Remi was no longer next to me. She wasn't anywhere at all.

"That is something I'm always happy to hear." My eyes instantly looked for the source of that rich deep voice.

Elric was standing outside the veranda door holding a plate with a mini cake on it and a candle burning in the center. "Happy birthday."

I had no idea what I did in this life to earn such a gorgeous man and on top of that, he was so caring, but um.. thank you universe..you have my respect.

I completely rose up on my feet, pretty sure my smile was ear to ear. I couldn't help myself.

I thought I wouldn't see him until tomorrow and I was so happy to have him here on this night holding that really tiny, but beautiful cake.

As he approached me singing a really off-tune happy birthday, I enjoyed watching his white body-glued shirt and those marvelous arms with popping veins as he carried the cake. He was chocolate itself, with those lips I couldn't resist and those eyes that made me susceptible to anything.

I was so into this man, there was nothing I could do about it.

I was still grinning like crazy as he sang the last verse.

He waited confused. "You can blow the candle now."

Baby, I'll blow anything you like.

Damn it Francy. Focus. Cake. sweet gesture.

Without breaking eye contact I just blew out the candle.

"Did you even make a wish?" He asked.

"I'm staring at it." I grabbed his shirt and pulled it to kiss him.

His arms worked fast. He got the cake out of the way and grabbed my waist with the other one.

His kiss tasted minty and I could tell he was chewing gum before, yet that mixed with his cologne was enough to make my already fast-beating heart into a frenzy.

He pulled away smiling over my lips. "You're going to make me drop the cake."

I pulled away, taking the cake from his hands. "I hope you weren't planning on me sharing this."

I sat down on the carpet and placed the cake on the table. He sat down next to me. "I'll just have what's left on your lips."

I chuckled. He was getting better and better with these phrases. "I won't let you get a single kiss then."

"Oh really?" He smirked and came closer.

As I leaned back to avoid him, he used this to completely press me down on the ground and he went ahead and kissed my neck lustfully. "You think you'll resist this."

Chills ran down my back. "I can try."

He brought his hand up and smiled over my lips. "That just won't do."

He pressed his lips on mine again and this time he pressed his whole weight on top of me.

"VIVE L'AMOUR!"

I opened my eyes to see grandma yelling out and raising her glass, as mom dragged her back inside and closing the veranda door.

Elric got up and brushed his hair back taking a deep breath. "I forgot we were not alone."

"So did I." I straightened my clothes and then sat properly.

"I can't believe you came. This is such a surprise."

"I had my doubts knowing you wanted an all-girls night but Remi convinced me you'll like it.." He said taking the glass pitcher I had on the table and filled an empty glass with water.

I took his hand. "I'm glad you're here."

He smiled at me and brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear.

***

After I told him all about the party and how it went, it had already gotten pretty late. All the lights in the house were out and the only light we had was the party lights I had placed in the garden. They were proving a soft light in the dark. We laid on the carpet, covered with a small blanket as it was getting colder and colder.

The night sky was clear and dark and beautiful

"I should leave now.." Elric leaned his head on mine.

I shifted my neck over his hand to face him. "Noooo."

"We only have few days together... and then you'll be busy with prom and graduation.."

He sighed. "I'm not going to prom. Well, not mine. I don't really socialize with the people there."

"Then?"

"Ace's prom is on Saturday and.."

"Aww is he taking you?" I teased.

He chuckled and nudged me. "We're going to some after-party."

"Yes well.. He is a social butterfly. " I shook my head. "And for graduation?"

"Nothing big. I'll just go to lunch with my parents. No gifts are needed." He said.

I touched the hand with the bracelet I gave him for Christmas. I never saw him without it. Maybe I can make something like that this year.

"We have only a few days left together," I told him.

"I know. But don't make it that much of a big deal. I'll go there once and you'll come here for a weekend and we'll see each other." He tapped my back gently to comfort me. His warm hands on my back felt so good.

My head was going elsewhere. I don't know if it was the darkness that engulfed us that made me so comfortable or that Elric was the only source of heat as we laid together outside in the cold evening, but I never had more courage to do something.

I rolled off the ground on top of him. Glancing down at him, I wondered how I was going to survive two months without him.

I pressed my lips down on his and let them linger slowly over his.

Everything bout us was so fitting. So perfect. It's not like I was getting mushy over everything, but when something was right, I could feel it.

My hair fell over his face and he ran his fingers in my hair pushing it back as he returned the kiss.

His abs clenched as he rose in a sitting position still digging his fingers in my hair.

I broke the kiss and kissed his neck while my hands pressed on his lower back as I held him.

"Francy." His pleading was a smothered whisper that I chose to ignore.

I traced my kissed all the way to his ear, the way he would tease me and then moved my way on the other side of his neck, leaving wet kiss marks.

It was when my hands moved under his shirt that he realized how serious I was.

He instantly grabbed my wrists and broke the kiss, breathing for his life.

"No.no.."

"Why?"I asked breathless trying to free myself.

"You can't do this to me days before you leave." He said putting my hands in my lap. "Please."

That please was so fragile that I had no other option than to behave.

In fact, I knew exactly why he warned me off.  There wasn't any chance that I would have survived two months of Elric abstinence after we do it.

I nodded and then wrapped my arms around his neck for a hug.

"In two months then. In two months I'll have you."

He chuckled in my neck. "I look forward to it."

I can die now after writing this scene. I prolonged it for so long because I knew my singleness would kill me xD and it did.